Mary T. Meagher
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Mary Terstegge Meagher Plant (born October 27, 1964) is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and world record-holder. In 1981 she bettered her own existing world records in the 100-meter butterfly (57.93) and 200-meter butterfly (2:05.96). These times would stand as the respective world records for 18 and 19 years, respectively, and are considered to be among the greatest sports performances ever.


Early life

Meagher is the daughter of two-time Notre Dame basketball letterman James L. Meagher. She was a competitive athlete from an early age. At the 1979
Pan American Games The Pan American Games, known as the Pan Am Games, is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas. It features thousands of athletes participating in competitions to win different summer sports. It is held among athletes from nations of th ...
in San Juan, Puerto Rico, she set her first world record—at the age of 14—in the 200-meter butterfly. "When she was a teenager, Mary showed no weaknesses," reflected Dennis Pursley, one of her early coaches. "Every athlete I've ever known had some form of weakness, be it in terms of motivation, technique or physical attributes, but Mary was the exception." She graduated from the
Sacred Heart Academy Sacred Heart Academy may refer to various institutions: in the United States: *Sacred Heart Academy (Redlands, California) *Sacred Heart Academy (Hamden, Connecticut) * Sacred Heart Academy (Stamford, Connecticut) *Sacred Heart Academy (Louisville ...
high school in Louisville, Kentucky, alongside her sister, future U.S. Representative
Anne Northup Anne Meagher Northup (born January 22, 1948) is an American Republican politician and educator from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. From 1997 to 2007, she represented the Louisville-centered 3rd congressional district of Kentucky in the Unite ...
.


1980 Boycott and on

Meagher was expected to compete for medals at the
1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad () and officially branded as Moscow 1980 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1980 in Moscow, Soviet Union, in present-day Russ ...
in Moscow, Russia. However, Meagher, along with the rest of the United States Olympic team, never got her chance due to the American-led boycott of the Moscow Olympics. However, in 1981 Meagher gave one of the most memorable performances in competitive swimming at the U.S. Swimming National Championships held in Brown Deer, Wisconsin. At the meet, Meagher set world records in both the 200-meter and 100-meter butterfly, the two primary distances at which the butterfly is contested in competitive swimming. The times for both records were considered astonishing, especially the record of 57.93 seconds that Meagher set in the 100-meters—a drop of over a second. Both times would stand as the world records for nearly two decades: American swimmer
Jenny Thompson Jennifer Beth Thompson (born February 26, 1973) is an American former competition swimmer and anesthesiologist. She is one of the most decorated Olympians in history: twelve medals, including eight gold medals, in the 1992, 1996, 2000, and 200 ...
lowered the 100-meter record in 1999, while
Susie O'Neill Susan O'Neill, (born 2 August 1973) is an Australian former competitive swimmer from Brisbane, Queensland, nicknamed "Madame Butterfly". She achieved eight Olympic Games medals during her swimming career. Early life O'Neill was born on 2 Augu ...
of Australia set the record in the 200-meter a year later. Some have argued that Meagher's records in the butterfly were among the most impressive records ever set in sport, let alone swimming, ranking among such noteworthy records as
Bob Beamon Robert Beamon (born August 29, 1946) is an American former track and field athlete, best known for his world record in the long jump at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968. By jumping , he broke the existing record by a margin of and his world r ...
's
long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...
world record in 1968. These two swims led Meagher to being named Female World Swimmer of the Year by ''
Swimming World Magazine } ''Swimming World'' is a US-based quarterly swimming magazine that was first published in a magazine format as ''Junior Swimmer'' in January 1960. It concurrently runs online websites ''Swimming World Magazine'' and ''Swimming World News'' (kn ...
'', which she again won in 1985. Meagher attended the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...
, where she swam for the
California Golden Bears The California Golden Bears are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Berkeley. Referred to in athletic competition as ''California'' or ''Cal'', the university fields 30 varsity athletic programs and various club te ...
swimming and diving team in
National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
(NCAA) and
Pacific-10 Conference The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the Western United States. It participates at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I level for all sports, and its Co ...
competition. She received the
Honda Sports Award The Honda Sports Award is an annual award in the United States, given to the best collegiate female athlete in each of twelve sports. There are four nominees for each sport, and the twelve winners of the Honda Sports Award are automatically in t ...
for Swimming and Diving twice, recognizing her as the outstanding college female swimmer of the year in 1984–85 and again in 1986–87. In 1987, she also won the Honda Broderick Cup as the nation's top female collegiate athlete. She graduated from the University of California in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in social sciences. At the
1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the ...
in Los Angeles, Meagher won gold medals in both the 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly races, along with another gold by swimming the butterfly leg of the women's 4×100-meter medley relay for the winning U.S. team in the event final. Returning to compete at the
1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and officially branded as Seoul 1988 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. 159 nations were represe ...
in Seoul, South Korea, Meagher won a bronze medal in the 200-meter butterfly. By the time she left competitive swimming, Meagher had won 24 U.S. national swimming titles.


Personal life

Meagher was the 10th of 11 siblings. She married former
speed skater Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors racing, race each other in travelling a certain distance on Ice skate, skates. Types of speed skating are long-track speed skating, short-track speed skating, and marath ...
Mike Plant. They now live in
Peachtree City, Georgia Peachtree City is the largest city in Fayette County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 38,244. Peachtree City is located in southern Metro Atlanta. Golf carts are widely used in the city. Over 10,000 hous ...
, with their two children, Maddie and Drew. Mike Plant's brother and Meagher's brother-in-law,
Tom Plant Thomas John Plant (born November 6, 1957) is an American former speed skater. He took part in 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid, and won a bronze medal at the 1980 Sprint Championships. References External links * * * Tom Plantat Tea ...
, was also a speed skater and Olympian. Meagher's older sister Anne Meagher Northup served as a US Congresswoman. In Louisville a swimming complex is named for Meagher, and a street is named in her honor in
Elizabethtown, Kentucky Elizabethtown is a home rule-class city in Hardin County, Kentucky, United States, and its county seat. The population was 31,394 at the 2020 census, making it the ninth-most populous city in the state. It is the principal city of the Elizab ...
.


See also

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List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games This is a list of athletes who have won multiple gold medals at a single Olympic Games. List of most gold medals won at a single Olympic Games This is a list of most gold medals won in a single Olympic Games. Medals won in the 1906 Intercalated Ga ...
*
List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women) This is the complete list of women's Olympic medalists in swimming. Women's events 50 metre freestyle 100 metre freestyle 200 metre freestyle 400 metre freestyle 800 metre freestyle 1500 metre freestyle 100 metre backstroke 200 ...
*
List of University of California, Berkeley alumni This page lists notable alumni and students of the University of California, Berkeley. Alumni who also served as faculty are listed in bold font, with degree and year. Notable faculty members are in the article List of University of California, B ...
*
List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (women) This is the complete list of women's World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming from 1973 to 2024. Medalists Bold numbers in brackets denotes record number of victories in corresponding disciplines. 50 metre freestyle *Medals: 100 ...
*
World record progression 100 metres butterfly The first world record in the 100 metres butterfly in long course (50 metres) swimming was recognised by the International Swimming Federation (FINA) in 1957 Events January * January 1 – The Saarland joins West Germany. * Janua ...
*
World record progression 200 metres butterfly This is a history of the progression of the World Record for the Swimming (sport), Swimming event: the 200 Butterfly (swimming), Butterfly. It is a listing of the fastest-time-ever swum in the event, in both long course (50m) and Short course (s ...


References


External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Meagher, Mary T. 1964 births Living people American female butterfly swimmers American female freestyle swimmers California Golden Bears women's swimmers World record setters in swimming Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in swimming Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming Sportspeople from Peachtree City, Georgia Sportspeople from Fayette County, Georgia Swimmers from Louisville, Kentucky Sacred Heart Academy (Louisville) alumni Swimmers at the 1979 Pan American Games Swimmers at the 1983 Pan American Games Swimmers at the 1984 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 1988 Summer Olympics World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics Summer World University Games medalists in swimming FISU World University Games gold medalists for the United States FISU World University Games silver medalists for the United States Medalists at the 1985 Summer Universiade Medalists at the 1979 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1983 Pan American Games Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in swimming 20th-century American sportswomen